Complex laser systems are employed in nearly every field of manufacturing, from clothing manufacturing to creation of knives to manufacture of automobiles. Laser systems can also be utilized for other applications as well, including (but not limited to) interferometry, holography, spectroscopy, bar code scanning, optical demonstrations, retinal phototherapy, lithography, measurement of air pollution, weaponry, material processing (cutting and welding), surgery, engraving, etc. In a medical example, lasers can be utilized for creating precise incisions as well as to enable more expedient healing when compared to incisions created by way of scalpel. Gas lasers are one general type of laser that is suitable for the above exemplary applications, wherein such lasers operate by way of discharge of an electric current through a gas to produce light. Types of these lasers include helium-neon lasers, argon ion lasers, krypton ion lasers, xenon ion lasers, nitrogen lasers, carbon dioxide lasers, carbon monoxide lasers, and various other gas lasers.
Advancements in laser technologies have correlated with improved manufactured products, improved medical treatment, as well as various other improvements that most take for granted. For instance, smooth flowing lines on today's automobiles are accomplished based at least in part upon cuts made to sheet metal through employment of gas lasers. Likewise, parts in rotating machinery that have been manufactured through gas lasers are more durable when compared to machinery made through more archaic cutting means, such as presses and saws. In essence, any piece of material that can be cut can typically be cut more quickly and accurately through employment of gas lasers when compared to other suitable cutting mechanisms.
As mentioned above, carbon dioxide lasers are one exemplary gas laser, and such lasers are quite prevalent and highly useful. In more detail, carbon dioxide lasers are the highest power continuous wave lasers that are currently available to those in an industry where cutting of metals is undertaken. Carbon dioxide lasers utilize various gases (including carbon dioxide) to produce an infrared beam, and such beam is in turn employed in connection with materials processing (e.g., cutting and refining metals). In typical carbon dioxide lasers, a principal wavelength of the infrared beam lies somewhere between 9.4 and 10.6 micrometers. The exact principal wavelength can depend upon a cutting application (e.g., cutting aluminum of a particular thickness, cutting sheet metal of certain thickness, and the like).
Utilizing these gas laser mechanisms, particularly in a manufacturing context, often requires a significant amount of planning prior to undertaking a manufacturing application that utilizes these lasers. For instance, gases employed by gas lasers are associated with cost, which can vary depending upon time of year and location of a distributor. Similarly, disparate gases and pressures may need to be employed for different applications (e.g., cutting of different metals, different thicknesses of material, . . . ). Accordingly, valuable time and resources may be lost in simply determining whether or not to undertake a manufacturing application that employs gas laser technologies.